Acting Police Chief Admits System Failures in Missing Persons Cases

Yoo Jae-seong, acting chief of the National Police Agency, has acknowledged systemic failures in how police handle missing persons cases, a revelation prompted by the mishandling of the Jang Mi-ran disappearance. The admission came during a National Assembly committee meeting where Yoo stated, "I judge that there were problems with the missing persons system," adding that "the system allows the person in charge to close the case."

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I judge that there were problems with the missing persons system.

In response to the shortcomings, Yoo announced immediate measures, including a directive for manual sign-offs by team leaders and section chiefs before any case can be closed, pending a full system overhaul. This directive aims to prevent a recurrence of the incident where a detective allegedly fabricated a report to close Jang Mi-ran's case and removed her from the system's active list. While police regulations require reporting and confirmation of a missing person's safety, the system itself apparently lacked safeguards against individual misconduct.

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The system allows the person in charge to close the case.

Lawmakers voiced strong criticism, with some linking the police's investigative lapses to the impending abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights. Representative Seo Myung-ok of the People Power Party argued that the Jang Mi-ran case exemplifies the "burying of cases" that was feared with the removal of these prosecutorial powers. However, Yoo countered that this specific incident was "a separate issue from the supplementary investigation rights."

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The most worrying aspect when the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights are abolished is the burying of cases.

The committee meeting also touched upon concerns regarding the upcoming launch of the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) on October 2nd. Representative Kwon Young-jin questioned the feasibility of transferring over 1.55 million unresolved and pending cases from other agencies to the CIA within the short timeframe, warning of potential chaos and loss of records. Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung assured that some cases could remain with prosecutors for up to 90 days after the transition, potentially reducing the immediate transfer burden. He also dismissed calls to postpone the CIA's launch, citing the risk of a significant gap in the judicial system.

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This incident is a separate issue from the supplementary investigation rights.